Thursday, June 30, 2011

Congratulations are in order for Todd Helton. 2,000 games in Major League Baseball. 2,000. All of them with our Colorado Rockies.

Of active players, only Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones can say the same thing. I couldn't be prouder of the player or the organization for making that happen.

I wish Todd could play 2,000 more. To this day he is still one of my favorite people/players to watch do their job. That counts any sport or any form of entertainment. He's just plain fun to watch. Especially when he's in the box spoiling tough two-strike pitches or make another slick pick at first base. I love those little things.

He's not the same player he once was, but he's still the same man with the same drive and the same professionalism. He's never given away one at-bat, or taken a day off mentally in the field. He's always getting the most out of himself, even when his body wasn't cooperating.

If the Rockies fired Jim Tracy tonight, it wouldn't fix everything - and very likely wouldn't fix anything - but I sure wouldn't be upset or angry.

It's easy to say he's not the Rockies only problem or their biggest problem. That's the truth. But he certainly is a big problem. A problem that needs to be eliminated eventually.

He was awful today. Completely overmanaged a very winnable game, helping turn it into a disaster. He used three pitches to get through the seventh, which I guess was necessary after Rafael Betancourt allowed the lead-off home run to Gordon Beckham? Or something.

He did allow Betancourt to face one more hitter, whom he retied, but then got the hook in favor of Rex Brothers. Personally, I would try to have a little more faith in Raffy. You know? You've demoted him to the 7th, which I can't argue with. But with a three-run, how can he regain his confidence getting yanked after one mistake?

Brothers came in and struggled again, which is totally on him. He needs to lock that down, but he didn't, so then we go to Matt Belisle. Belisle needs only one pitch to get the Rockies out of the jam.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ugh. Tonight was exactly like last night in terms of both teams pitching well, but looking terrible at the plate and defensively. It was another game that was there for the taking for Colorado. All it would have taken on a couple different occasions was one big hit or one less mistake on the bases to notch back-to-back wins.

It didn't happen. This time it was the White Sox getting the win, though they didn't really have to take it like Troy Tulowitzki did last night. They just benefitted from one big break.

Of course most of the criticism will center around that break Chicago caught. It came in the 9th inning on a play at the plate. Carlos Quentin tags up and scores the winning run on a shallow flyball to right field. Seth Smith made the catch with his momentum coming towards home, but the throw was off line, handcuffed Chris Iannetta, and Quentin got in.

My take: Yeah, Iannetta probably should have picked that ball and made the tag. But think about it, the catcher had to go 8-10 feet up the line to try and catch a ball on a shorthop. I've pointed out his sloppiness blocking baseballs in the past, though it's different behind the plate. Point is I'm certainly no apologist of his, but this all tells you it's a bad throw. And he also had a runner baring down on him.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

This is what happens when you put an underachieving team (Rockies) and mediocre team (White Sox) together for a baseball game. A long game full of fans from both sides wondering how their teams is going to blow it, why the other team refuses to win it, and why they're staying up into the late evening hours to witness it.

Rockies fans are glad they did, because it was shown there is one big difference between these teams, and, quite frankly, the two leagues.

The Colorado Rockies have a superstar by the name of Troy Tulowitzki. A superstar who's athletically gifted and can change a game any number of different ways, including with his legs. The Chicago White Sox have no such player. In fact, most American League teams don't.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Jhoulys Chacin: He had nothing today. Zero. And that includes confidence and energy. Every pitch looked like a struggle and the body language after several of them suggested he didn't know what pitch he could turn to to help him get an out.

That makes for a very mentally and physically challenging game, especially for a youngster used to being on his game. He's found a way to get through similar outings in the past with good results, but there hasn't been one like this where absolutely nothing worked. So while it goes down as a lousy performance, there's certainly no reason to get worked up about it unless he can't rebound effectively on Saturday.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

1. I thought Todd Helton might sit today with yesterday's from New York to Chicago and another flight later today from Chicago to Denver. Perhaps tomorrow night will be the night he sits.

2. If this were basketball, we might be wondering if Chris Nelson is out of the rotation. I almost wonder though if Jim Tracy can finally use that home/road platoon that was rumored with Jonathan Herrera and Jose Lopez and use it with Nelson now. We shall see.

Chicago Cubs (31-46)

RF Kosuke Fukudome

CF Tony Campana

SS Starlin Castro

3B Aramis Ramirez

1B Carlos Pena

LF Alfonso Soriano

2B Blake Dewitt

C Geovany Soto

P Matt Garza

The Cubs starter in "rained out" game in April was supposed to be Casey Coleman. So they upgrade to Garza here. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't avoid Chacin. He's going for Colorado like he scheduled to do that day as well.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

At the beginning of the series I said I would take one win out of three based on the pitching matchups goings in. That's exactly what the Rockies got, winning the Ubaldo matchup and losing these final two. So I can't say I'm too upset over the results, but there's no question the past two days were disappointing.

Disappointing that Tracy didn't take a better shot at CC Sabathia yesterday. Disappointing that today started off very well, but they couldn't collect themselves or regain their head of steam once the Yankees started fighting back.

Juan Nicasio: Started off very impressively. But once the Yankees got a second look at him, things went a little more like I was anticipating. Still, you can't take those first four innings away from Nicasio. They were brilliant. Now you just hope he can learn from his struggles later and continue working towards developing his secondary stuff.

Also, an outing like today sure doesn't change my prediction that he's going to end up being the guy the Rockies envisioned Felipe Paulino as. He's proven he can be deadly on even the most elite hitters when they only see him once.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Rather than get up at a decent hour to post this morning's Lineup Card, I slept in. Hey, I was up until six this morning writing up my Saturday morning recaps for Big League Stew, so I give myself a pass this time. But I kind of wish I had dragged my ass out of bed anyway, because it would have been fun commenting on that lineup Jim Tracy filled out.

Geez.

So here's the deal on that. Wednesday I defended Tracy for sitting three starters in the series finale in Cleveland. I'll still defend that. It was obvious Todd Helton, Charlie Blackmon and Chris Iannetta needed that day off. With the off day Thursday, I was completely in favor of how Jim planned that to buy Todd and Chris especially 48 hours of rest.

Today: I wasn't too surprised to see Seth Smith and Blackmon benched. That's the norm for Smith against any lefty, especially one of CC Sabathia's caliber. But when that leaves you with Eric Young in the outfield, are you really gaining anything? Are you really doing your players right when you're not only putting one out of position, but pretty much telling the rest I'm waving the white flag today. Here's my 25th man in right. My 24th man behind the plate. And my 23rd man in left field to support my 5th starting pitcher.

Jason Giambi: New York certainly isn't a second home to Jason Giambi. He still has an apartment there. He spent the prime of his career there. It's definitely a special place for him for several personal and professional reasons. And it had to be made even more special by the reception he received tonight.

Hats off to the Yankees fans for showing their love. EVEN after Jason unloaded on an A.J. Burnett cookie for a long home run in the 2nd.

Velocity was mid-90s consistently. In fact, pitch 119 hit 95 on the gun. So yes, the velocity is still down. It would be wonderful if he could get it all back because he needs it on nights when his other pitches aren't working. Because of that I can see why a lot of people are concerned about the MPH. I can also see why other's aren't. I guess we'll just have to see where it all leads on Wednesday against the White Sox.

Troy Tulowitzki: I saw someone tweet Tulowitzki can't handle the bright lights or big stage after he grounded out with the bases loaded. I dunno, homering in all five games he's played in New York tells me a different story on that. No doubt his swing has been all over the place lately. No doubt he's blown some opportunities, but he's fine.

Overall: Good win. Very happy to see them play a complete nine innings of baseball without any silliness. Well, unless you count that rare four strikeout inning as silly. Some would. But still, it's not easy to go into Yankee Stadium and play a team stacked with that much talent backed with that much history. It sounds lame to say, but that can be a source of intimidation. Well handled by the guys.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 30-60 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Honestly, if the Rockies exit New York with a winning record I would be thrilled beyond words. If they end up not getting swept, I'd actually be satisfied. The only pitching matchup I feel decent about is tonight's with Ubaldo vs. Burnett, and we all know how shaky that could be. So yeah, let's just avoid the disaster weekend here. Sorry if that's not optimistic enough.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Well crap, one of these days the Rockies need to go ahead and sweep somebody just to see how fun and satisfying it can be. Like that time in New York when...

I'm digressing already. A series victory on the road is something I'll definitely accept with a smile on my face. That makes two straight winning series on the road, and five unbeaten series overall with the home split with the Dodgers mixed in there.

Jason Hammel: Alright, aside from the balk, which was bizarre and possibly the most herpy derp moment of the season, was Hammel really all that bad? I didn't think so. Frustrating in a couple innings? Of course. But who isn't?

He lost command for a short time in the third inning. Then the balk.

I don't know? Brain cramp? Thought the batter called timeout? Back spasm?

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

One of the early highlights of Tuesday's game was getting to hear Seth Smith's dad in the broadcast booth with Drew Goodman and Jeff Huson talking about his son's terrific accomplishments in sports other than baseball while growing up.

I've said a time or two I believe Smith is the best pure hitter on this team. Is it possible he's also the best pure athlete? Sounds like he could be.

It was also entertaining hearing Mr. Smith's southern drawl. That was a nice changup from Jeff Huson's robotic tone and use of the same cliches and pieces of analysis over and over. If I had a vote, I'd actually have Mr. Smith replace Huson when George Frazier is off doing whatever things George Frazier does. But of course my first choice would still be Lisa Iannetta.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Call it ugly. Call in shaky. Call it whatever you like. That's just American League baseball. Pretty wins are few and far between in that league. So to go on the road and beat a first place team, as unlikely as it is that they'll hold the spot, is a feather in your cap. Especially when you're trotting out the No. 5 in your rotation (who's really a 7 or 8) against their opening day starter.

5th Inning: This is where the game took a turn for the better. After Ty Wigginton and Charlie Blackmon grounded out harmlessly to start, Chris Iannetta drew a two-out walk. Hey, I told you before the game he was going to turn the lineup over a lot tonight! I just had two no idea a two-out walk would turn into six-run outburst.

Iannetta walk

Gonzalez single

Chris Nelson walk

Todd Helton walks in one

That set the stage for the Rockies first big break of the game. The Troy Tulowitzki bouncer down the third base line that kicked off the bag and into foul territory for a two-run double.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

That's okay. Justin Verlander vs. Aaron Cook? Nine times out of ten that's not going to go your way. The important thing is they took care of business in the first two games, took the series, and should leave town feeling pretty good about themselves.

Aaron Cook: Pretty standard Cook day when you think about it. Which I'll actually take against Detroit. 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. It may not look pretty, but it matches up well with Ubaldo's line and better than Jason Hammel's. The difference was his margin for error was zero. We knew that going in, so that made every hit and run allowed a little more frustrating than the one before or any hits allowed by Ubaldo or Hammel.

7th inning: Ouch. Rough day for Rex Brothers' ERA. Rough day for Rex Brothers period. Spiked on the arm covering home plate? I've been spiked on the ankle a time or two. But **** that would hurt to take one on the forearm. Thankfully it was his non-throwing arm, but he was still forced to leave due to bleeding. The wound took four stitches to close up. Did I mention ouch?

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Big start for Ubaldo Jimenez. Tough opposing lineup, though they are going more with defense than offense this evening. But the Rockies really need this game ahead of facing Justin Verlander tomorrow. So an overpowering performance would definitely be welcomed here.

Beating up on them and Jim Leyland was a helluva lot of fun on Friday night.

I admit it, I still haven't forgetton Leyland's quitting on the Rockies after the 1999 season. Forgiven? Sure. I mean, it's his life, so it's not really an unforgivable thing, but certainly not forgotten. That means it will always be a little extra satisfying when the Rockies clean his clock, which is exactly what they did here.

Charlie Blackmon: 4-for-4, two runs and two RBI. He's not providing a lot of power, but damn, he's getting the bat on the ball consistently and he's finding himself on base multiple times each game. That's helping the Rockies extend their lineup. For the first two months the offense was basicially limited to 2-5 in the order. Now with Blackmon hitting well at seven, it's opening things up for guys like Ty Wigginton and Chris Iannetta to see better pitches be factors.

Friday, June 17, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Jason Hammel won't know what to do actually having the everyday lineup behind him. A true rarity.

Detroit Tigers (38-31)

CF Austin Jackson

LF Brennan Boesch

1B Miguel Cabrera

C Victor Martinez

RF Magglio Ordonez

3B Alex Avila

SS Jhonny Peralta

2B Ryan Raburn

P Rick Porcello

Damn, that's a pretty solid lineup. And creatively filled out by Jim Leyland moving Alex Avila to third base from his usual catching position to get Victor Martinez in there. So I'm thinking, let's see how of a defense for offense trade they're doing here. Let's test out Avila with a couple bunt attempts and see if Martinez can be run on a bit.

By the way, did Leyland ever do anything creative in his one year at Colorado before riding off into the sunset smoking a pack of cigarettes?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Alright, so it's probably best to take a faster paced approach to baseball, but it is possible to single an opponent to death when you squeeze them all together. That's what the Rockies did today, collecting twelve singles out of their thirteen hits. The key being that seven of those singles came within eight batters during the 6th inning, leading to five runs.

He singled thrice. The first one coming after he spoiled three very tough two strike pitches from Mat Latos. On the 8th pitch of the at-bat, he looped one into short right field that the Padres couldn't handle. Blackmon was then forced at second on a Jose Morales fielder's choice, but his at-bat created the run. Well, his single, and then consecutive singles by Jhoulys Chacin and Carlos Gonzalez.

His second single was No. five out of the seven in the 6th. Stay with me. It drove it one. Ryan Spilborghs followed two singles later with the killer two-run hit that put the game away for Colorado.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

This something we haven't seen a lot of lately. A solid offensive performance, coupled with an outstanding pitching effort. AND the bullpen made it stand up. That's three phases of the game clicking at once. Plus they stole three more bases. I'm almost overwhelmed with positives.

Juan Nicasio: Well hot damn. Nicasio allowed a home run to the first batter of the game. Hit the second batter. Had lousy command early, which led me to believe this was going to be a short night at the office for him. Yet the kid absolutely owned this game for six innings once he got his feet under him.

Nine strikeouts. That ties a season high for Rockies starters. The breaking ball looked like a solid strikeout pitch at times. Great poise and confidence on display. This was a damn good 4th major league start for a 24-year-old.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Unreal. Seth Smith out of the lineup... AGAIN. Our manager is a dimwit. If you want to get Spilborghs at-bats, fine, but how about give Blackmon his first day off? Benching Smith over and over again is counterproductive to everything.

Oh, and there's another team meeting going on before today's game. I think that's the fourth of the season. God this is a mess. The guy running the show is a desperate man.

This time it was the offense's turn to not hold up their end of the bargain. As I said, Anthony Bass was making his big league debut for San Diego. He could very well go on to have an amazing career, but geez, you'd think an offense with Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton could give the kid a proper welcomes to the bigs. Especially at home, where baseballs were flying all weekend long.

It just didn't happen. I don't know what the answer is. They seemed to be over the hump, but they couldn't sustain any threats or come up with the big knock.

By the way, of the Rockies five total hits, two each belonged to Chris Nelson and Charlie Blackmon. So yes, I think most of us knew these guys couldn't fix the offense, but they have certainly added to it. It's just not enough when the money players have a bad day.

Aaron Cook: Slow start, allowing basehits to the first three batters of the game. He only allowed two hits after that before leaving after the long rain delay in the 6h. I can't remember how long the rain delay was, but I think it was a little over...

Matt Belisle: Having another brilliant season, although much quieter than last year. Definitely the player of the game after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Very good and very efficient.

Overall: It's getting to be put up or shut up time. This homestand has to finish strong. Having the mentality that a 10-game winning streak in August or September will make everything better is a bad way to live. No guarantee this team has a five-game winning streak in them, let alone eight, ten, eleven, whatever. The turnaround has to start now, and they have to sustain it.

Monday, June 13, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

The Padres have changed quite a bit since we saw them last Wednesday. Seriously! This is our first look at Padres top prospect Anthony Rizzo, who debuted last Thursday. He's a big, strong kid that WILL add a power dynamic to their lineup (at least on the road).

Cameron Maybin is off the DL now, and we all know what he did in the last series at Colorado.

This is also the major league debut for starting pitcher Anthony Bass. I don't know a lot about him, so we'll see what the Rockies can figure out.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Yeah, splitting that four game series with the Dodgers was not what I had in mind, especially after the Rockies came out and played so well in the first two. Very, very frustrating results these past two days. A blown opportunity to not only gain on or stand their ground with the front-runners, but more importantly to me, create some space from a Dodgers team that I think has a good run in them during the second half of the season.

Ubaldo Jimenez: Listen, allowing three home runs is never a good thing for a pitcher. That much is pretty clear and obvious, but it's beyond the numbers to me. Where I'm more concerned is Ubaldo's confidence/mindset. Once something has gone wrong for him this season, like Ty Wigginton's error, he loses it. Fast. And he rarely gets it all back together.

That kinda tells me everything we've seen with him this season has been more mental than physical. I can't prove that. I'm not a licensed doctor or psychiatrist, but that's my diagnosis from afar. And I don't know how you can fix that if it really is the root of the problem. You can work on his mechanics. You can review scouting reports over and over. But how do you teach a pitcher to get over mental hurdles?

Bullpen: Well, we saw the entire lineup struggle together for a month, so it's only appropriate the entire bullpen struggles at the same time. Hopefully they get it straightened out a lot quicker than the offense did. And I don't mean to lump Rex Brothers in there because he's been excellent, but even he had a rough go of it today.

Ty Wigginton: I've seen enough of the limited range and routine grounders clanking off his glove. This team desperately needs to tighten up the defense. If that means bringing back Ian Stewart sooner than later, I'm all for it. Giving opponents extra outs and opportunities has to be addressed and eliminated. It's wearing on everybody.

Jonathan Herrera: The bloom is off the rose with Johnny, which is unfortunate, but not totally unexpected for a major leaguer who survives on guts, intelligence and ability to execute. I'm not saying he needs to go, because I don't think that's the case. But given how well Chris Nelson has played, and given the need for dynamic offensive performers, I'm not sure he's going to fit in if he's not excelling at the things he does best while in a bench role.

This could be a big week for him to get it turned around. And this is coming from Herrera's biggest supporter since he was called up last June.

Offense: All of the Rockies runs scored on homers. Seth Smith had a three-run shot in the 1st, which hopefully served as a reminder to Jim Tracy that he needs to play EVERY DAY. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki each had two-run homers in the 7th, and then Todd Helton hit a solo shot in the 9th. 8 runs. That should have been enough, but once again, it wasn't.

Overall: Any confidence in the Rockies I had built up over their three-game winning streak is wiped away. Today was a big, big, big game in my mind, especially with Ubaldo out there, and they fell short. Yeah, it's promising the offense has turned it around, but we're learning again that the problems for this team run much deeper than one thing. On any given day, they can do a number of different things poorly that puts them in a position to lose.

Until all of those are cleaned up, the ups will always be followed with disappointing downs.

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

A little slow on the trigger today. Hey, it's Sunday: We're allowed to sleep in and eat a late brunchfest every now and then!

So yes, Jose Morales has become Ubaldo's personal catcher of late, which shows how predictable Jim Tracy can be. I don't have a problem with that if everyone is comfortable with the arrangement, but Morales kinda has to be better than he has been lately for it to work.

Had a nice dinner with my dad for his birthday last night. Then I get home and my internet signal was a little choppy, so while I was able to catch most of the major moments in the game, I wasn't watching as intently as usual. Feel free to correct me on any thoughts that seem off.

But I don't think anyone can argue with this point: If you allow Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles to go a combined 8-for-9 with 4 RBI, you most definitely deserve to lose.

Jason Hammel: Had a very average outing going for his 5+ innings before exiting with the sore lower back. Makes you wonder if his back was bothering from the get-go. Whatever the case, the injury doesn't sound like a huge problem right now, so we'll cross our fingers and hope for better next time around.

Bullpen: I think we should just demote all of them. What about you? It's just not tolerable for some of these guys to have a rough outing, much less two bad outings in a row like Matt Reynolds. Demote some of them. Release a couple more. Let's start fresh tomorrow with an all new seven.

If you haven't caught on to the sarcasm, this blog isn't for you. The bullpen had a rough night. It happens. Matt Reynolds, Clayton Mortensen, Matt Lindstrom, and even matt Belisle the night before, these guys have all done wonderfully for the Rockies. To get as worked up as some fans I saw on Twitter (when it was actually working) doesn't make sense.

No, Matt Reynolds doesn't need a minor league stint. No, Matt Lindstrom isn't garbage. Calm it down, folks. There's 98 games to go. Those guys are all going to be quietly great a lot more times than they'll be loudly awful over that timeframe.

Defense: Where do I even start?

First of all, as I mentioned in the Lineup Card, poor Jason Hammel was once again stuck with pretty much the worst feasible defensive alignment Jim Tracy could come up with.

Jason Giambi showed once again he is not a good defender or even an average defender. Any other opinion of the matter will not be acknowledged. Plain and simple.

Eric Young in the outfield needs to never happen again until he spends a whole year in the minors learning it. Sheesh his routes are terrible. And PLEASE don't think I'm taking this out on the player. He's just doing what he's told, and what he's being told is really stupid. Of course it's also the only thing keeping him the big leagues at this point, so it's a really, really tough spot for Young. It's a no-win situation for everybody, which should ultimately lead to him being traded if 2B never opens up.

And yet somehow Young looked a lot better than Matt Kemp did in the outfield. What the heck is his deal?

Oh, and yes, the Jonathan Herrera botch in the 9th inning was quite embarrassing for him and actually pretty costly for the team. Generally he's one of the smarter guys on the team, so his not knowing where to go with the ball in that spot shocked the hell out of me.

I didn't even specifically mention Troy Tulowitzki or Ty Wigginton, the two men who were actually charged with their two errors. That kinda shows how terrible this was overall.

Offense: It's back on track right now. Carlos Gonzalez, Jason Giambi, Troy Tulowitzki, Ty Wigginton and Charlie Blackmon all had multi-hit games. The seven runs they were able to produce should have been enough to extend the winning streak to four, but it wasn't.

Seth Smith: Jim Tracy already thinks Charlie Blackmon is a lot better than you! And apparently he thinks Eric Young is too. I don't necessarily disagree on the former, but come on Tracy, Smith needs to just play every single day.

Ryan Spilborghs: Can't even buy a start against a left-hander these days. That really has to suck.

Sunday afternoon: This is a big one for the Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez. Despite the loss here, the team is taking more steps forward the backward this week. It would be huge to seal up this series victory over a division rival, as well as keeping Ubaldo's momentum going.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

Poor Jason Hammel again gets Jason Giambi at first and Eric Young in the outfield. He's always fighting an uphill battle with the defense behind him and often times with the lineup supporting him. Oh well, he always handles it in stride. Hopefully today's the day he gets over the hump for a win.

Los Angeles Dodgers (29-36)

SS Dee Gordon

2B Jamey Carroll

RF Andre Ethier

CF Matt Kemp

1B James Loney

C Rod Barajas

3B Aaron Miles

LF Tony Gwynn

P Ted Lilly

We never wish injury upon opposing players, but we certainly encourage slow and cautious returns from minor tweaks. Unfortunately, Matt Kemp only needed a day to get himself back on the field. Darn.

One is just one without two. Two gives you something to build on. Three is what I call a real winning streak. The Rockies have their first real winning streak since April 15th thanks to eight shutout innings by Jhoulys Chacin and 17 hits on offense.

And somehow they only won by a single run. Is life ever easy for these guys?

Jhoulys Chacin: Life has been pretty easy for Chacin against LA this year. He's yet to allow a run to the Dodgers in his 15 innings against them. It's pretty special getting to see this kid continually develop his game and elevate his status not only on the Rockies staff, but in the entire National League. Hopefully that continues to the point where he can be considered for a nice honor next month.

Chad Billingsley: On the flip side, Billingsley's last two starts against the Rockies have resulted in new career highs in hits allowed. They got him for 11 hits back on May 30. Remember? The game where they had 14 hits overall and one plated run? Well, the Rockies topped that with 13 hits this time, and 17 overall. Six regulars recorded multi-hit games.

Carlos Gonzalez: CarGo led the way with four hits out of the lead-off spot. Yeah, that's not where he's going to stay, but Jim Tracy might have a really difficult time messing with this current formula. It shall be interesting to see when he decides to make the move.

Chris Nelson: That talk about Nelson being an AAAA player is dying down a bit. He's not a real polished defender, as we saw in the 9th inning, but he's a solid addition to the lineup to be sure. Where he is a month from now is anybody's guess, but I'm betting he's still hanging around in the two-hole.

Todd Helton: I'm out of adjectives. At 37, he's still the glue that holds it all together. I know, I've said that before. I'm really out of things to say.

Chris Iannetta: If Smith's wasn't the biggest hit, Iannetta's two-out RBI single in the 5th was. Either way, it's nice to see this balance. I didn't even mention Ty Wigginton's two hits. Sorry Ty.

Bullpen: Really rough night for Matt Belisle. Sure the Nelson error didn't help, but a six-run lead should never turn into a save situation for your closer. That led to Huston Street having to warm up quick and enter a tough spot. And then Street gets criticized because he gives up a couple soft hits. The Navarro defensive swing was an especially softly hit blooper that found a nice cozy spot just out of Tulo's reach.

I've already said I won't defend Huston Street anymore because it's pointless. If Mariano Rivera was the Rockies closer, people would complain endlessly about that too I'm sure. But it's silly to hold anything against Street in this one.

Winning streak: Let's make it four and get Jason Hammel a damn victory!

Friday, June 10, 2011

If you're looking for Rockies game lineups and you don't feel like searching all over Twitter or waiting for MLB.com to post them, check back to Heaven & Helton about 60-90 minutes before first pitch. They should be here waiting for you.

I can pretty much guess the lineup now! Only thing I have to check is who's pitching for the other team (to see where Wiggy's hitting) and who's catching for the Rockies. We're going on almost a full week of the same template. Crazy!